


Rao's Chosen

by Mimitanuki



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: But Not Much, M/M, Markings, Not much of anything tbh, Some angsty feelings, Soulmates, Written for Timkon Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 08:50:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2501795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimitanuki/pseuds/Mimitanuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark notices Kon scratching a strange mark in his wrist and teaches the boy one thing he didn't know about Krypton and other thing Kon discovers by himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rao's Chosen

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Timkon Week, the theme was: Soulmates
> 
> Disclaimer: the characters belong to DC, not me.
> 
> Not proofread, so if there are some mistakes, I'm sorry.

The first time Kon noticed the mark in the back of his wrist, it was shortly after joining the Titans. He'd been scratching it absentmindedly for some time, until one day it suddenly started burning and Kon stared at a sun-shaped red mark in his skin. It was easily noticeable, so he hid it behind a leather armband. After a while it stopped hurting until it was just a soft itch, so he stopped thinking about it.

When he came back from the dead, however, one of his first sensations was the scorching pain in his wrist. Gasping, he took a look at it the moment he was alone, and with a startled gasp he saw that the mark had developed an almost disgusting black color, like dead necrotic tissue. Kon became afraid it meant he wasn't as fine as everyone seemed to think, that he hadn't come back from death unscathed. But apart from hurting, the mark didn't spread, didn't do anything else than giving him an uneasy feeling, like he was lacking something, like there was a hole inside him that had been ripped from him without him even noticing until it was late.

He thought it was the lingering anxiety of him knowing the source of his human DNA. After all, after confronting Luthor and finding his place again with his friends and the Titans, he found the black color had become a scarlet one, not as bright as the red it had the first time he noticed the sun marking him, but healthier looking at least. It was just a strange rash, he thought. Nothing else there, just some creepy and probably kryptonian super rash.

It wasn't until sometime later, when Clark came to the farm to visit, that he learnt that he had been wrong all along.

As a matter of fact, scratching the mark had become a constant in his life. It was no surprise then they Clark caught him doing it unconsciously one night after dinner. Martha had gone upstairs to sleep, leaving his boys to take care of the dishes. Of course they were done in a matter of perhaps two seconds, so both Clark and Conner had slumped contently on the coach and were lazily watching the TV. That's when the bothersome sun had started to itch and Clark caught him scratching it.

Conner noticed his "cousin" staring at it, and he shrugged.

"Just a little rash, Clark. I've had worse to deal with" he said.

"That's not rash, Conner" said Clark, surprise evident in his voice.

Somehow he also seemed worried, and Kon winced. The older man grabbed his wrist and twisted it so he could see it better. His serious face didn't change, but his eyes shone with understanding. Old fears resurfaced in Ion and he became pale.

"Oh my God. It's something bad, isn't it? I didn't come back as good as everyone thinks" he croaked.

Clark seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking, because he blinked at Conner and smiled tentatively.

"Ah, it's not bad, Conner. You're fine, this isn't rash" he assured.

Kon wasn't convinced.

"Then, what is it?" he asked.

Clark took a moment before releasing Conner's wrist and straightening in the sofa.

"Well, in Krypton, there were some people who were called Rao's Chosen. They sported marks like the one you have in your wrist, the Red Sun. It was said that each Chosen had the mark in a different part of their body, and the only person that had an identical mark were their soulmates" he explained.

Kon arched his eyebrows, more baffled than before.

"Soulmates? Like in those corny and cheesy love films kind of soulmates?" he asked.

"Not even close. The kryptonian soulmate is not necessarily someone that you love in a romantic sense. It can be a friend, or even family. What makes it special is that soulmates understand each other so perfectly that it is said that they can read each other's thoughts. It was also said that Rao's Chosen were people that had... a void within themselves. They were gifted by the Sun with their counterpart, a partner that would completely fill that void, complementing each other. When the moment was right, they would find each other, developing a bond that would only grow stronger with time."

Kon breathed deeply, trying to process all the new information.

"So... You're telling me that... I have a soulmate out there and I didn't even know?"

Clark frowned a little.

"You should know it, actually. The mark appears immediately after meeting your soulmate, and it hurts quite a lot if you don't acknowledge the bond. Maybe it’s because your human DNA?"

"I... I've had it from some time now" confessed Conner. Clark's frown worsened, and the boy hurried to explain. "I mean, I noticed some itching back when we just started with the Titans, and the mark was pale red. Then it started hurting bad for some time, and then receded, just like that. And when I came back, it was black, like it was infected, and it really crept me out, but I had other things in mind and when I realized, it had already returned to red color. Darker than in the beginning but still red" he said, showing the mark to the older man.

Clark took several breaths and massaged his temples. Kon fidgeted in his spot on the coach, worry clutching his gut.

Finally, Clark exhaled.

"Okay, Conner. I think I know what happened, and I don't believe it's bad" he started.

Kon sighed, relieved.

"Then what is it? Do I have that soulmate?"

Clark nodded.

"Yes, I think you do. But from what you have told me, it must be someone in the Titans."

"What?! No way, it can't be..." exclaimed Conner.

"Let me finish. You noticed the rash when you joined them, but it probably appeared before. The hurting must have started when you... when Luthor... controlled you and made you hurt your teammates. You must have hurt also your soulmate, and Rao's mark reacted to it. And after you came back... Your soulmate must have been terribly affected by your death. The darkening of the mark and increased pain reflects the state of the bond. It was severed violently, causing the other party to feel like someone ripped a part of themselves. That's why it was black when you came back, and improves upon your return to your friends and the Titans" said Clark.

Kon opened his eyes, slowly taking in everything Clark told him. It made sense, after all. He raised his eyes and looked at Clark, who was smiling reassuringly at him.

"I think it's one of your friends from Young Justice. Do you know who it might be?"

"I... probably... not Bart. It just... doesn't seem like he would be?"

Clark nodded.

"Maybe Cassie...?" he adventured.

"No" he said quickly. Clark looked surprised and even Kon winced inwardly. "I mean... I do love her, and I know she feels the same about me but... I... calling her a soulmate is too much. We broke up because we both had grown over it, her even more than me. It's not her" he explained.

He thought about what Clark had told him, about what a soulmate was supposed to be. Understanding, a partner, someone you always look for when you're in trouble. Someone you would die for.

Then he realized.

He groaned as the mark in his wrist suddenly burned the dark color brightening until a strong and powerful red was engraved in his skin.

"It's not her", he repeated, softer this time, covering the mark with his other hand, pain going slowly away. "It's Tim. It's always been Tim."

Clark nodded, resting a hand in Conner’s shoulder.

“How do you feel about it?”

“I… not really different from before...?” said Kon, still reeling from the realization he had.

It was so clear right now. Years knowing first Robin, the Boy Wonder, a hero he came to respect as a leader and teammate. And later, knowing Tim, a friend and confident, the one he always talked to when he needed help, advice or just companionship and understanding.

He had always been there. Always for him.

“What should I do now, Clark?”

“Whatever you want, Kon. There are no rules in this. No one can tell you what to do” said Clark, smiling softly. “But you should probably tell him about Rao’s mark. Remember he too should have one.”

Kon opened his eyes and cursed.

“Oh, God, you’re right! He probably freaked out when it started itching and a red sun appeared in his skin!” he groaned. Then a cold shiver ran through his spine. “The black marks must have hurt like hell.”

Clark sighed. “It does. You really should talk to him”.

Talking sounded good. Kon leapt to his feet and was almost out of the window when Clark called him.

“Conner! I didn’t mean tonight!” he exclaimed, surprised.

The boy shook his head. No, it had to be tonight. “Sorry, Clark, but I really need to talk to him right now.

And he flew out of the window, leaving Clark alone in the coach with the TV still running.

 

Tim wasn’t difficult to find, actually. Kon had almost feared he would be in Gotham and he had to deal with the Bats, but his recent discovered soulmate was in Titan’s Tower, face focused on a computer screen. Of course.

“Hey, Tim” he said, approaching him slowly. “How is it going?”

The other boy turned around to face him and smiled openly, in a way that was so rare these days Conner had come to yearn for them like a madman.

“Conner! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Smallville for the weekend” he said, cocking his head to one side.

“Actually, I was until… huh… two minutes ago, maybe” he said sheepishly. “Listen, Tim… I…” he started, realizing he had no idea on how to go on and raise the subject.

Tim became serious, Bat-mode engaged at the first notice of something was not right.

“Kon, what is it? Is everything alright?” he asked, worry obvious in his voice.

“Yeah, I mean… there’s no mad scientist trying to rule the world or something like that” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Tim visibly relaxed, and breathed deeply. “Oh. Then, what’s eating you?”

“I…” Conner cursed inwardly and blurted “Can you show me your right wrist?”

Tim froze in the spot. His eyes were open like he had seen a monster and Kon heartbeat increase.

“No”, rasped his friend, still staring at him like if he had become crazy.

That only gave Conner more reasons to insist.

“Tim, please, it’s just that…”

“I’m not showing it to you. Why would you want to see it, anyway? Where’s this coming from?” hissed Tim, defensively.

“I have it too” explained Kon before his friend retreated more into himself. “The sun mark. I have it too.”

The confession seemed to produce the desired effect, since Tim blinked several times, caught by surprise.

“W… You have… How?” he asked.

“Actually, it’s a… kryptonian thing” started Kon. He showed his marked wrist to Tim. “Look, I’m not lying to you. This is proof that we… huh… we are…”

“Bonded” said Tim. His eyes were fixated on Kon’s wrist, staring at it like it was the answer to every enigma on the cosmos, and now it was the other boy’s turn to be baffled.

“Y… you knew?” he whined.

Tim frowned a little, and looked at him in the eyes. “I… deduced it had to be something like that” he said.

“How?” pressed Conner.

Tim looked away. He seemed uncomfortable, and Kon put his hand on his shoulders.The boy seemed to breathe easier, and started speaking, softly, almost a whisper.

“When you died… the marking started hurting like there was someone burning me inside out, slowly and viciously. It suddenly became black, and then I realized that the more I fell into despair, the more it hurt. I tried to escape that damn circle by cloning you but… Well, that idea was just a fucked up plan, and it failed. I failed.”

Kon didn’t say a thing while Tim fumbled with his right glove and raised his right wrist.

“It hurt me so much when you died, Conner. You don’t have any idea of what it did to me to find you were gone for good. It hurt so much that sometimes… unconsciously… I scratched it. Hard enough to break skin. _Hard enough to scar_ ” he continued, voice trembling, eyes bright with unshed tears.

Conner watched the thin scarred tissue marking Tim’s wrist, and ugly reminder of everything his best friend had gone through. Of every pain had had to suffer because of him.

No more.

He grabbed Tim’s wrist and kissed the mark tenderly, a surprised gasp escaping from Tim’s lips.

“Clark says these are called Rao’s marks, and that people that have them in the same place are soulmates. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you the pain of it. But you can be damn sure I’m going to make it better” he said, voice tight.

Tim tensed for a moment, and then gradually relaxed. “I know” he said, voice cracking. “I know” he repeated, a low sob escaping him.

“I’m sorry” said Kon as his friend wept in silence. “I love you”

It came out natural like breathing. Kon didn’t even felt different, because he didn’t. He just smiled hugging Tim harder and whispering soothing nonsense. Tim just nodded, still releasing all of his pent up fears and pain. “I know” he said, looking up. “Me too.”

The kiss wasn’t anything more than a soft touch of lips, but for Kon it was perfect. Because it felt so good to have Tim in his arms like that. More than good, it felt right.

Like it was how they were meant to be.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If the story doesn't make sense I'm sorry too, my brain is fried from college and I didn't even know what I wrote in the end.


End file.
